FINANCE minister Derek Mackay has been reported for criticising letters issued by Inverclyde Council about tax rises – despite them being paid for by his own Scottish Government.

Local authority leader Councillor Stephen McCabe has complained to chief executive Aubrey Fawcett about comments made by Mr Mackay on social media.

The SNP minister and his party colleague, Councillor Chris McEleny, both took aim at the Labour group leader over 7,000 letters sent to households advising them of increases in their council tax.

They were sent by the local authority’s chief financial officer Alan Puckrin at a cost of £3,000 – paid for from a £40,000 Scottish Government grant to help deal with the changes – and the move received cross-party support from members of the policy and resources committee, including Mr McEleny.

Mr Mackay, pictured, whose constituency covers Kilmacolm, said on Twitter that Inverclyde Labour ‘seem upset’ that Cllr McEleny ‘called them out for sending taxpayer-funded letters criticising council tax changes Labour voted for’.

The local authority SNP group leader meanwhile accused the administration of ‘using council resources to send out letters complaining about tax going up whilst calling on Scottish Government to raise tax’.

Mr McCabe has vowed to report Mr Mackay to the Public Standards Commissioner, which deals with complaints about MSPs, councillors and members of public bodies.

Cllr McCabe said: “I am very disappointed that someone in his position would make such an unwarranted public attack on the council. I hope he has the good grace to apologise.”

But the Renfrewshire North & West MSP today refused to say sorry. Mr Mackay told the Tele: “Labour voted for the changes to the council tax that Cllr McCabe seems to object to. 

“I would suggest Cllr McCabe focus on the day job of delivering services for the Inverclyde area, that’s what his constituents expect.”

Mr McEleny was present at the most recent policy and resources committee meeting on January 31 in which councillors were told about the cost of the letters and where the money for them came from – but he remains critical.

He said: “This is yet another waste of time and resources by Labour in Inverclyde. People that I speak to, whether it’s at the shops, on the street, at the football, at public meetings or across Inverclyde tell me overwhelmingly the same message.

“They care about their children or grandchildren’s education, they care about their community, they care about their elderly relatives and the many services the council delivers.

“I think people want a council leader that gets on with the day job of helping make Inverclyde a better place to live and they care less about what goes on in the social media world of Twitter.”

An Inverclyde Council spokesman said the letters were drafted by COSLA and issued to give residents ‘advance notice’ of council tax changes and how they will affect their bills.